Leona Helmsley dead at 87.

New York's real estate community doffed its hat to the widow of one of its favorite sons this week.

Leona Helmsley, wife of the late Harry Helmsley, died of heart failure at her summer home in Greenwich, Connecticut, on Monday at the age of 87.

"The governors, members and staff of REBNY mourn the passing of Leona Helmsley, one of our industry's most significant players and wife of former REBNY governor Harry B. Helmsley," said Steve Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.

"Together with her Harry, she forged an amazing and successful business and broke into the boys club of real estate, leaving behind a pioneering legacy for all women in the real estate industry as well as one of the greatest benefactors of NYC charitable and cultural institutions."

New York Commercial Real Estate Women siad, "Her impact on the field of commercial real estate in New York City, transcends both gender and generation, resulting in a lasting legacy to the members of that community. This is an impressive feat for anyone to have achieved, but particularly remarkable because she achieved it in spite of her gender and the circumstances and challenges she faced."

While she earned herself the title "Queen of Mean" for her well documented excesses, wicked temper and jail time for her flagrant tax evasion, few in the real estate community doubted Leona did have a heart--and it belonged completely to Harry, who saw past her flaws and bequeathed his multi-billion dollar empire to her upon his death in 1997. Stories are told of how the bold Leona set her sights on Harry at a Realty Foundation fall in the early 1970s. He was smitten from the start and divorced his wife to marry Leona in 1972.

Her husband appointed her president of his Helmsley nterprises even though her abrasive approach with employees gave him extra work, trailing in her wake to rehire those she'd fired and resolving crisis she'd created. He told his friends," I've got two choices, I could fire her--and then I'd have to get a divorce, or I could live with her, and I prefer to live with her."

"They were utterly and completely devoted to each other," recalled Jerome Belson, president of the Associated Builders and Owners and longtime friend of the couple, who said they would dance together until the very last song at annual dinner parties.